Guzmania plant named ‘Orion’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Guzmania  plant named ‘Orion’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly arching growth habit; dark green-colored foliage; inflorescences held upright and above foliage on strong scapes; inflorescences with red purple-colored primary bracts; and long-lasting inflorescences that maintain good coloration for about three months in the interiorscape and about 14 to 16 weeks in the greenhouse.

Botanical designation: Guzmania hybrid.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Orion’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates a new and distinct cultivar of Guzmania, botanically known as Guzmania hybrid and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Orion’.

The new Guzmania is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Guzmania varieties having unique flower colors and enhanced postproduction longevity.

The new Guzmania originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in January, 2000, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, of an unnamed proprietary selection of Guzmania hybrid, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with unnamed proprietary selection of Guzmania lingulata, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Guzmania was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Sao Brazil, in September, 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Guzmania by tissue culture in a controlled environment in Homestead, Fla., has shown that the unique features of this new Guzmania are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Orion has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment and cultural practices such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Orion’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Orion’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Guzmania:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly arching growth habit.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Inflorescences held upright and above foliage on strong         scapes.     -   4. Inflorescences with red purple-colored primary bracts.     -   5. Long-lasting inflorescences that maintain good coloration for         about three months in the interiorscape and about 14 to 16 weeks         in the greenhouse.

Plants of the new Guzmania can be compared to plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Guzmania have larger inflorescences than         plants of the female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Guzmania and female parent selection differ         in primary bract color as plants of the female parent selection         have purple-colored primary bracts.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Guzmania last about six         weeks longer than inflorescences of plants of the female parent         selection.

Plants of the new Guzmania can be compared to plants of the male parent selection primarily in primary bract color as plants of the male parent selection have white-colored primary bracts.

Plants of the new Guzmania can be compared to plants of the Guzmania cultivar Ultra, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,221. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Homestead, Fla., plants of the new Guzmania and the cultivar Ultra differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Guzmania had larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Ultra.     -   2. Plants of the new Guzmania and the cultivar Ultra differed in         primary bract color as plants of the cultivar Ultra had paler         red purple-colored flowers bracts.     -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Guzmania lasted two to         three weeks longer than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar         Ultra.

Plants of the new Guzmania can be compared to plants of the Guzmania cultivar Tempo, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,124. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Homestead, Fla., plants of the new Guzmania and the cultivar Tempo differed in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Guzmania were broader and darker         green in color than leaves of plants of the cultivar Tempo.     -   2. Plants of the new Guzmania had larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Tempo.     -   3. Plants of the new Guzmania and the cultivar Tempo differed in         primary bract color as plants of the cultivar Tempo had red         purple and white-colored flowers bracts.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Guzmania, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Guzmania.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Orion’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Orion’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

All color references are measured against The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition. Colors and numerical measurements are approximate as plant growth and development depends on environmental conditions and cultural practices such as light level and temperature, among others, without, however any variance in genotype.

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were about 40 weeks old and grown in containers in Homestead, Fla., during the spring and summer in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures averaging 28° C., night temperatures averaging 20° C. and light levels about 1,600 foot-candles.

-   Botanical classification: Guzmania hybrid cultivar Orion.

Parentage:

-   -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Guzmania hybrid, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed proprietary selection of             Guzmania lingulata, not patented.

-   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots on tissue-cultured plants.—Summer:             About 14 days at temperatures of 29° C. Winter: About 20             days at temperatures of 24° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted tissue-cultured plant.—Summer:             About 110 days at 29° C. Winter: About 130 days at 24° C.         -   Root description.—Thin, fibrous; brownish with white-colored             apices.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense.

-   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright and outwardly arching             plant habit. Basal rosette of outwardly curved strap-like             leaves affixed in tight spiral ranks around a very short             central stem. Terminal inflorescence on an upright scape             which emerges from the center of the basal rosette.         -   Plant height, soil surface to top of inflorescence.—About 22             cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 52 cm.         -   Stem length.—About 12 cm.         -   Stem diameter.—About 8 mm.         -   Stem color.—157B.

-   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Basal rosette, spiral phyllotaxis; sessile.             Quantity of leaves per plant: Plants typically produce about             16 to 18 leaves prior to inflorescence development.         -   Shape.—Ligulate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Length.—About 35 cm.         -   Width (flattened).—About 2.7 cm.         -   Aspect.—Leaves curved outward over their length and downward             towards the apex.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Leathery, stiff; smooth,             glabrous.         -   Venation.—Parallel.         -   Leaf sheath.—Not observed.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: 146A.             Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147A.             Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147B.

-   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence form.—Terminal inflorescences with showy             primary bracts; inflorescences supported on erect and strong             scapes.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences of the new Guzmania             are very long-lasting; bract coloration is maintained for             about three months in an interiorscape and about 14 to 16             weeks in the greenhouse. Inflorescences persistent.         -   Natural flowering season and time to flower.—Plants of the             new Guzmania typically flower in the spring or summer.         -   Flowers.—Flower development has not been observed on plants             of the new Guzmania.         -   Bracts.—Only primary (flower) bracts observed; terminal             (fertile) bracts and scape bracts not observed. Quantity per             flower spike, primary bracts: About 18. Shape, primary             bracts: Ligulate, apices, acuminate; margins, entire.             Length, primary bracts: About 11.5 cm. Width, primary             bracts: About 3 cm. Texture, primary bracts, upper and lower             surfaces: Leathery; stiff; smooth, glabrous. Color: Primary             bracts, upper surface: 71A. Primary bracts, lower surface:             71A.         -   Scape.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect. Length:             About 20 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145D.

-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Guzmania have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 6° C. to about 41° C.

-   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Guzmania have not been     observed to resistant to pathogens and pests common to Guzmania. 

1. A new and distinct Guzmania plant named ‘Orion’ as illustrated and described. 